Clean Barley and Malt - the Key to a Purer Beer
Increasing numbers of malting, brewing and grain-handling companies are turning to Bühler’s Sortex optical sorting technology to help ensure the quality of their barley remains high.
London, United Kingdom, May 30, 2012 --(PR.com)-- “Fusarium is a type of fungus found in various grains, including barley,” explains Neil Dyer, Product Manager. “In itself it’s not harmful, but DON (Deoxynivalenol) or ZEN (Zearalenone) are secondary metabolites (by-products) of an interaction between fusarium and various grains and these are mycotoxins that certainly are harmful to humans.”
DON risk reduction
“Some grains affected by fusarium may produce mycotoxins, while others might not, but removing fusarium reduces the risk. Legislation in the EU and elsewhere imposes strict controls on levels of DON and ZEN in foodstuffs. Barley is used in a range of food products, of course, not just beer.”
Excessive rain in 2011 in Northern Europe created major fusarium-related problems, which hit some producers and brewers very hard – in some areas up to 70% of supplies have been returned.
Beer gushing
The costly issue of gushing is another problem that Bühler’s technology is able to combat. Dyer continues: “Evidence from many master brewers suggests the problem of beer gushing out of bottles when opened arises when there is an excess of red kernels in malted barley. To protect their reputation for quality, some brewers have destroyed product batches after discovering problems with gushing, which is costly. Our sorters can quickly and accurately remove red kernels from the product stream.”
In independent laboratory tests at the Research Centre Weihenstephan for Brewing and Food Quality (an institute of the Technical University in Munich, Germany), grain sorted on the bichromatic SORTEX optical sorter was shown to be stable and passed the gushing test; other samples failed the test.
Although a relatively new entrant with optical sorting technology into the brewing market, Bühler is a leading global force in grain sorting technology. The origins of the business can be traced back more than 150 years. “Current and prospective customers are welcome to visit Bühler’s applications facility in London and bring their product for a trial sorting.”
Quality control
As Dyer explains, the more thoroughly barley is cleaned prior to malting, the better the quality of the end product. He adds: “Special care must be taken to ensure grains infected with fusarium are removed. But raw barley can also contain contaminants such as small sticks, stones, tiny pieces of metal, soil, foreign grain or even shards of glass – as well as biological contaminants such as pests, insects, mould or mildew.”
Many biological and chemical contaminants can only be identified by colour variation, they cannot be mechanically separated.
“One of the major benefits of optical sorting is it helps to eliminate the risk of secondary contamination. It can prevent the cross-contamination of subsequent batches, while the early removal of DON also prevents carryover to downstream processing equipment.
“SORTEX advanced optical sorting technology can ensure that barley and many other crops are sorted with exceptional accuracy and speed. Defective grains and foreign materials are rejected, while maximising speed and yield,” he concludes.
To learn more about optical sorting, please visit: http://www.buhlergroup.com/optical-sorting
DON risk reduction
“Some grains affected by fusarium may produce mycotoxins, while others might not, but removing fusarium reduces the risk. Legislation in the EU and elsewhere imposes strict controls on levels of DON and ZEN in foodstuffs. Barley is used in a range of food products, of course, not just beer.”
Excessive rain in 2011 in Northern Europe created major fusarium-related problems, which hit some producers and brewers very hard – in some areas up to 70% of supplies have been returned.
Beer gushing
The costly issue of gushing is another problem that Bühler’s technology is able to combat. Dyer continues: “Evidence from many master brewers suggests the problem of beer gushing out of bottles when opened arises when there is an excess of red kernels in malted barley. To protect their reputation for quality, some brewers have destroyed product batches after discovering problems with gushing, which is costly. Our sorters can quickly and accurately remove red kernels from the product stream.”
In independent laboratory tests at the Research Centre Weihenstephan for Brewing and Food Quality (an institute of the Technical University in Munich, Germany), grain sorted on the bichromatic SORTEX optical sorter was shown to be stable and passed the gushing test; other samples failed the test.
Although a relatively new entrant with optical sorting technology into the brewing market, Bühler is a leading global force in grain sorting technology. The origins of the business can be traced back more than 150 years. “Current and prospective customers are welcome to visit Bühler’s applications facility in London and bring their product for a trial sorting.”
Quality control
As Dyer explains, the more thoroughly barley is cleaned prior to malting, the better the quality of the end product. He adds: “Special care must be taken to ensure grains infected with fusarium are removed. But raw barley can also contain contaminants such as small sticks, stones, tiny pieces of metal, soil, foreign grain or even shards of glass – as well as biological contaminants such as pests, insects, mould or mildew.”
Many biological and chemical contaminants can only be identified by colour variation, they cannot be mechanically separated.
“One of the major benefits of optical sorting is it helps to eliminate the risk of secondary contamination. It can prevent the cross-contamination of subsequent batches, while the early removal of DON also prevents carryover to downstream processing equipment.
“SORTEX advanced optical sorting technology can ensure that barley and many other crops are sorted with exceptional accuracy and speed. Defective grains and foreign materials are rejected, while maximising speed and yield,” he concludes.
To learn more about optical sorting, please visit: http://www.buhlergroup.com/optical-sorting
Contact
Bühler Sortex Ltd.
Marina Green
+44 20 7055 7777
www.buhlergroup.com/optical-sorting
Marina Green
+44 20 7055 7777
www.buhlergroup.com/optical-sorting
Contact
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